Acting Editor Niamh Devereux finds out what viewers can expect with the new series of the hit RTÉ show.
This Sunday, Series two of The Traitors Ireland kicks off on RTÉ One, introducing us to a brand-new cast of Traitors and Faithfuls. Excited? Us too.
I made my way out to Slane Castle a few months ago for an exclusive set tour, where I got to explore the infamous turret and Round Table, while also getting a behind-the-scenes look at some of the spaces where the drama will unfold. Later, I got to speak with the show’s fabulous host Siobhán McSweeney, as well as Darren Smith, Managing Director of production company Kite Entertainment. Here are my key takeaways from behind the scenes.
Slane Castle almost wasn’t the home of The Traitors Ireland
It’s difficult to imagine the series anywhere else now, but Slane Castle was not originally a certainty. In fact, the production was only “two or three days” away from signing a deal with another location. Finding the right castle is one of the biggest challenges for The Traitors productions around the world, Darren says, as “a lot of suitable castles have been turned into hotels.” That creates a problem because the show needs enormous spaces for its signature set pieces – most importantly, the round table – and it also means production can’t take over the location for an extended period. Then came an email from Alex Conyngham, custodian of Slane Castle. “I always felt Slane would be beyond our means,” Darren says. “But Alex sent this email saying something like, ‘You know, if you’re ever filming a TV show…’. They did a very decent deal and here we are, and they are also signed up for year three. The estate…the land – we are the envy of many Traitors locations.”
The prize money hasn’t increased for year two
Despite the huge success of the first series, there isn’t a bigger prize fund for season two – although Darren says it may grow in the future. For now, he says that increasing the prize of €50,000 substantially could change the fundamental nature of the game. “We like the gameplay at the moment in terms of the level of brutality to it,” he explains. “If it became a much bigger number, that will change it.” Change is good, he adds, and “we have a very different energy with this year’s cast” but Darren says producers are ultimately happy for now with the balance between the prize and the psychological warfare it creates.
A huge amount of work happens after the cameras stop
The secret nature of The Traitors means that filming is considerably more complicated than simply sending the cast back to their accommodation at the end of the day. Once the Traitors’ meeting has been filmed, the production team has to of course ensure the rest of the cast cannot accidentally discover who has been summoned to the secret meeting. The contestants are kept in a “blackout hotel” environment, with careful procedures designed to prevent them from picking up clues about what is happening. Producers even discovered contestants trying to solve the mystery themselves in season one, by looking under hotel doors to identify people’s shoes. To keep things totally under wraps, the production team has to conduct dummy runs and carefully coordinate the movement of contestants between the castle and the hotel before everyone can return for the next stage of filming.
The Paudie effect
The biggest success story from season one was undoubtedly Paudie Maloney, a 68-year-old former prison officer who grew a legion of fans for his unintentional chaos and hilarious one-liners. Darren revealed that that they had more than 120 prison officers/guards apply this time around – and it wasn’t simply because there happened to be loads of them interested in reality TV. He added that some “brilliant older guys” applied – people who, in his words, you could “put them in any show” and they’d work. But, it presented a bit of a casting dilemma; while they were great characters, producers didn’t want it to seem like they were consciously trying to find another Paudie. “If you’re making the case for someone simply because they feel like another previous contestant, you’re losing it,” he says, adding that it starts to feel like you’re trying to recreate the magic rather than letting a new character emerge. This year’s cast, Darren says are fresh and diverse, with a completely different group dynamic to year one.
A celebrity version looks likely
While Darren says this is “inevitable” in the future, it isn’t something viewers should expect next season. Darren says there are no plans currently in place, and that if it does go ahead, it would be unlikely to run civilian and celebrity editions simultaneously; one format would have to be chosen. The challenge for an Irish celebrity version would be finding enough recognisable names to make the concept work, he adds, which unlike the UK and US, has a bigger pool of well-known personalities. “You need a couple of big dogs,” he notes. For season two, however, the focus remains firmly on civilians. The 24-person cast (8,000 applied!) has been assembled through an extensive process designed to ensure contestants are suitable not only for the game but also for the pressures that come with appearing on the show.
Lady Muck is back
Host Siobhán McSweeney isn’t just returning for season two – her Traitors persona is, too. “I was scared I wouldn’t get back into the Lady Muck character but it came back very naturally,” she laughs. “Once you’re on the grounds of Slane Castle, it kicks in.” The costume is a big part of leaning into that, too and we have some extraordinary pieces coming your way. I like to focus on three things primarily: Irish designers, up-and-coming designers who deserve the spotlight; I like to re-wear pieces, you’ll see pieces I wore last year styled in a different way; and, thirdly, I won’t work with anyone who doesn’t regard my size as a normal size and not an anomaly. Even if my size changed, my attitude would not change on that. Our stylist Anne O’Shea – and myself! – have really pulled it out of the bag this year, I have to say.” How would Sister Michael, Siobhán’s iconic Derry Girls character find Lady Muck? “I think they’d have a quiet respect for each other. Game recognises game.”
Gaeilge will continue to star in the show
Season one of the Traitors Ireland was critically acclaimed for its use of our native tongue. While Siobhán peppered a cúpla focal into hosting duties last year, she says she, in fact, has “f*** all Irish!” “My Irish side of the family are Gaeilgeoirs; my granddad was a poet in the Irish language known as An Suibhneach Meann. He was very involved with the Irish language revival which I am very proud of,” she says. “What is deeply moving is the response to those cúpla focal that we had in the first season. It’s so moving. I think it’s a real evolution of our guilt and our research of psychological trauma we have from our colonial past, that we can move on and begin to embrace the language as a sort of neutral language and the language that is ours without this historical drama to bring with us.” She continued: “I’ll tell you that this year, we’ve really embraced that, and we have contestants who spontaneously bring that to the table every single night. There seems to be a wonderful thing about the show, that we seem to be reflecting what’s happening in Irish society at the moment, and that there is a huge resurgence in the Irish language, which certainly in my 48 years is a quite a new thing. And it’s beautiful.”
The “state of the nation” insight
When deciding on the roles played by the cast, Siobhán says she has a fireside chat with everyone at the beginning to discover if they’d be a good Traitor or Faithful. “I also always ask what they’d spend with the prize money, which is always a good insight into the state of the nation,” she says. “Last year, it was all about house deposits and of course we had that a lot this year too. We also had quite a few answers about IVF, and helping parents pay off their house, things like that. All incredible noble and not at all to make me go, ‘Oh my god, please, give them all the money!’ [Laughs] I do think, with any really good media or television, you get a very interesting insight into the state of the nation.”
Siobhán gets just as obsessed with the show as viewers do
With such an intense filming schedule and spending so much time with the contestants, only to see them get picked off one by one – how does the presenter seem to keep it together so well? “I don’t keep it together!” she exclaims. “I’m absolutely bananas. We’re all absolutely demented. My dreams are about the show. I can’t even have a conversation with my friends because it’ll be like: “‘How are you?’…’I can’t tell you anything!'” They’ll be like, ‘any other news’ and I’m like…’well, no. This is my entire life!'”
The Traitors Ireland series 2 begins on Sunday 30 August on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player at 9:30pm continuing Monday and Tuesday and is directly followed by The Traitors Ireland Uncloaked each day.
Read more: Meet the stylist behind Siobhán McSweeney’s epic looks on The Traitors Ireland
